Betrayal
by Abicion
Summary: This story involves a heel-face-heel turn being pulled off so quickly that a TNA booker would stop and say "Hey, that doesn't make any sense."
1. Chapter 1

In a flash of light, best friends Love, Miki, Inori, and Setsuna transformed into Cure Peach, Cure Berry, Cure Pine, and Cure Passion. The magical girl quartet stared down the city street in front of them, their sight falling on the two male representatives of Labyrinth who had challenged them moments earlier. Each of the four girls stood with defiant expressions on their faces, and the Labyrinth warrior named Soular eventually became impatient and broke the silence.

"Any time you're ready, Eas."

Before Cures Berry and Pine could question their rival's odd change in attitude, they both jumped in place as they heard a grotesque snapping sound. They turned in unison to see Passion pushing Peach's lifeless body to the ground, with Peach's neck broken and her pigtailed head twisted at an unnatural angle. Passion's face was now contorted in a psychotic grin, undoubtedly challenging the two remaining Cures. After pausing to give a short gasp, Berry growled in anger and summoned her signature weapon, the Berry Sword, into her hands. She lunged at the team's pink-haired traitor with a rageful battle cry, but Passion easily dodged to the side. As Berry wasted her attack on thin air, Passion reached forward to twist the mystical blade out of her hands. After procuring the weapon for her own use, Passion turned the sword against its rightful owner and used it to stab Berry's heart. Berry's corpse toppled to the ground along with Peach's, and Passion casually tossed the bloodied sword over her shoulder as she turned to Pine. The yellow Cure struggled to speak as she backed away in a swarm of fright and confusion.

"Se-... Setsuna, what are you doing?"

Passion raised her hand to brush her long hair out of her eyes, then shot Pine an angered glare as she spoke.

"Stop calling me that fake name."

She then moved her hand to her hip and cast a smug grin as she continued.

"And, to answer your question, I'm doing what I always vowed to do: Destroy Pretty Cure."

Pine gasped again at this response. The golden-haired heroine raised her voice to a desperate shout when she spoke again.

"But you're supposed to be one of us now! Don't you remember all that stuff Love told you about protecting the world and giving people hope?"

Passion shook her shoulders as she laughed briefly.

"Idealist garbage. I only played along with that stupid girl's speeches so I could complete my mission. There really is no hope left for your people."

Pine's eyes widened with horror as her treacherous enemy continued.

"You see, Labyrinth figured out a while ago that they would never be as strong as your team on their own power. Since I'm one of their only female members, it only seemed natural that I should try becoming a Cure myself to level the playing field a bit."

Passion's lips curled into an mischievous smile as she held the sides of her long red dress and offered a sarcastic curtsy.

"As you can see, my plan couldn't have been more successful. Now that you've shared your secrets with me and I'M a Pretty Cure, Labyrinth has solved their problem."

Pine remained wide-eyed and flabbergasted as she questioned Passion further. Tears of grief began flowing from her eyes as a result the deaths of her friends combined with Setsuna's betrayal.

"You... you were using us the entire time?"

The Cure of Happiness clapped her palms together and grinned in another act of sarcasm.

"Well, you're a clever one today, aren't you?"

She then tilted her head slightly and stroked her chin in thought, studying her shocked opponent with content eyes. She spoke again with curiosity in her voice.

"You're kind of cute in your Cure form, Inori, and I suppose we could use our own mascot. Have you ever considered joining Labyrinth yourself?"

Pine choked her tears and grit her teeth in nearly instant contempt toward her former teammate's offer.

"Never!"

She then held her arms forward, allowing the Pine Flute to appear in her hands. The weapon's yellow crown began to glow with magical energy as she pointed it to her deceitful opponent.

"You're wrong, Setsuna! Hope DOES remain in this world! For Love and Miki's sake, I'm going to protect it!"

Passion shrugged as she sighed in disappointment, then replied to Pine in a cold voice.

"Suit yourself."

She then raised one palm toward the feisty Cure of Prayers. Pine had no time to react when Passion effortlessly fired a scarlet-colored beam of energy from her open hand, reducing the final member of Fresh Pretty Cure to a pile of ash.

Cure Passion peered to the ground to study the remains of her conquest, then began approaching her allies in sultry strides. When she arrived at their side, Soular scanned her from head to toe before speaking.

"Interesting get-up, Eas. It's a little tacky, but I think you look better with your hair longer like that."

Labyrinth's Pretty Cure only closed her eyes and gave another disinterested shrug when she responded.

"It's definitely more powerful than my original form. I'll get used to it."

Soular stretched his arm to the side, causing a dark portal to appear in the air beside him. The silver-haired villain smirked when he spoke again.

"So, shall we?"

Westar and Eas nodded in agreeement, and the three minions of Labyrinth soon stepped into the portal to return to their home and discuss their next course of action.


	2. Betrayal: Redux

_Note: This chapter is a more "serious" alternate version of whatever the first chapter was trying to be._

* * *

><p>The forces of Labyrinth had initiated their final attack. Monsters roamed through the streets of Clover Town in hordes. Civilians ran left and right screaming for dear life. The nightmarish scene was all part Labyrinth's effort to capture Cure Passion, who had once been one of their most trusted allies before the other Cures helped her sever her malicious ties and follow the path of righteousness. Labyrinth claimed to have found a way turn her back into Eas, her original identity, and exploit the magical power she had gained as a Pretty Cure for their own ends. Given the current predicament, the likelihood they were bluffing seemed slim and their victory was nearly assured.<p>

In the heart of the chaos stood the town's local Pretty Cure team. In clockwise order, the ring of four girls were Cure Peach, Cure Berry, Cure Pine, and Cure Passion. The only path to safety was a narrow gap between the swarms of invading creatures, forcing the lead Cure to bark orders to one of her comrades. She always referred to her friends by their civilian names.

"Buki, we need to protect Setsuna! Get her out of here!"

Pine replied to Peach with a swift nod and a playful wink, trying to make the best of things.

"Right on it!"

While Pine positioned herself so she could escort Passion off of the battlefield, Berry feared for the worst. She offered her dreary thoughts to Peach.

"We'll have to cover her escape. She's the key to this whole thing."

Passion was facing the opposite direction by now, and she raised her voice so Berry could hear her response. Her tone was alarmingly calm, given her surroundings.

"Indeed I am."

She turned herself further away so her three teammates could only see the back of her red dress and her long pink hair. When she spoke again, her voice changed to a most ominous manner.

"What you must realize, my Pretty Cure sisters, is we were never going to save Clover Town."

Peach, Berry, and Pine were taken aback with collective looks of shock. No one knew how to respond to Passion's bizarre revelation, and none of them had noticed she now held the Passion Harp in her hands.

"For the sake of our city's survival, a deal had to be made..."

Hidden from the rest of her team, a wicked smirk formed across her glossed lips.

"...with Moebius."

Everyone present knew Passion was referring to the sinister leader of Labyrinth. In the fraction of a second it took for her to turn forward, it was as if time itself had stopped.

Pine and Berry were brought back to their senses by the sound of Inori Yamabuki screaming. It was a painful howl, one that curdled their blood as they watched their young colleague sail several feet through the air. Tiny scorched fragments of bright yellow cloth flew from her costume as she was thrown back by a fully charged blast from the Passion Harp. When she dropped back to the ground, her attacker riddled her with several more smaller bursts of pink energy just for good measure. Looks of disbelief and horror appeared on Peach and Berry's faces while Passion cemented her true loyalties in a display of brutality.

Passion paused in her attack and coldly stared toward her prey. Pine gasped in agonized breaths as she clutched her wounds and struggled to sit up. Tears were in her eyes, undoubtedly caused by a combination of pain and grief. Her voice was staggered and tiny.

"W-... why, Passion?"

Passion narrowed her eyes and pointed her weapon downward as she ruthlessly replied.

"I hereby discharge you from duty."

Peach and Berry had to shield their eyes from the brightest flash of light yet as Passion delivered the devastating killing blow. When their vision cleared, the two girls saw their fallen comrade weakly reaching into the air and groaning in a horrible gurgling sound. Her entire body was bathed in pink radiation that slowly and painfully disintegrated her from the inside out. When she stopped moving, both her lifeless form and her Cure costume dissolved into glowing, rose-colored ash. Passion smiled proudly.

The two remaining maidens of justice finally overcame enough of their shock to take make a counterattack, but it was too late. Passion fired several small blasts across the ground to scatter her enemies, then turned the opposite direction and retreated with the same rapidity as her treacherous attack. The monsters followed their mistresses's lead, leaving Peach and Berry behind.

Once the scene was at relative peace, Peach walked forward and stopped just in front of the spot where Pine had died. Inori was gone, and Peach didn't care what deeper motivations her killer may have been acting on. She had devoted her life to bringing peace and happiness to the world, only to be struck down in a heartless assault by a cowardly traitor.

Tears streamed down Peach's cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut. When Berry approached her from behind and placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her, she impulsively twisted herself away and threw her head into the air in a rageful scream. That was the day she vowed to kill Setsuna Higashi.

* * *

><p>Light suddenly filled the window of Setsuna's apartment, and Love was the first to notice someone was home. This had become her daily vigil since Inori's death, planting herself in the shadows just outside of the building each night and stalking her prey until she got her revenge. She didn't know where else Setsuna would ever show up, and she fumed with rage upon seeing the first evidence of her return. Any of the aspirations of peace she held when she first became Cure Peach were gone.<p>

A tiny creature named Chiffon stirred in Love's arms. As she was only an infant fairy, she had a fluffy teddy bear head, a portly round body, and full coat of white fur. Overall, her appearance didn't stray far from a small stuffed animal. The "mascot" of the team, she inspired the girls to always make the right decisions and stay in high spirits. She looked upward toward Love, with her button eyes clearly on the verge of tears.

"Are you really going, Love?"

Love replied simply with a cold nod. Her mind was too preoccupied with violence to verbalize her thoughts. This caused Chiffon to look slightly away before proceeding with her sad commentary.

"What you said about Inori sounds terrible, but Setsuna must have had some reason for doing it."

Bullshit, Love thought to herself. There was no excuse for murdering Inori in such a brutal, painful way. Chiffon studied her stone-faced expression before continuing.

"Remember how hard it was for you to help her become human? I don't think she'd just forget about everything so quickly."

Love couldn't forget the amount of heartbreak and struggle it had taken before Eas became Setsuna. However, no matter how authentic Setsuna had seemed as a human being, nothing took back how she had slaughtered Inori for fun and revealed she had never changed at all. Chiffon was simply too young to understand how sadistic a person could be.

Love sounded almost mechanical when she finally spoke.

"She has to be punished."

Chiffon's eyes wandered away again.

"I know, but..."

The mystical being then buried her head against Love and began twitching. Her words were muffled, but Love could easily tell she was sobbing.

"This is horrible. Pretty Cures aren't supposed to hurt each other. I don't understand why either of you have to act like this, let alone both of you."

Love's determination came crashing down like a house of glass. Chiffon's plight was enough to make her realize just how far she had left her former self behind. Thinking about it made her scared of herself.

After a deep sigh, Love glanced down and moved one of her hands to pet the top of Chiffon's head. She forced herself to appear more cheerful as she lowered her voice to a nurturing tone.

"Don't worry. I won't fight her if I don't have to."

Chiffon sniffed back another flood of tears before lifting her head. Her expression became slightly brighter when she replied, but she still appeared deeply depressed.

"That's good."

Love allowed Chiffon to rest her head under her chin. She continued supporting the creature in this manner for several seconds. She spoke again after taking her second thoughts into account.

"Chiffon..."

Chiffon glanced upward again and curiously tilted her head.

"Hmm?"

Love offered her a small smile to show her gratitude.

"Thanks."

Chiffon reacted with a similar look, relieved to see her human companion was changing her strategy. Love wasn't going to wantonly kill Setsuna at the first opportunity, but she was still determined to get to the bottom of what happened the day Inori died.

* * *

><p>Love found the door to Setsuna's apartment unlocked and slightly ajar. When she stepped inside, she found the main living room to be mostly barren and utilitarian, signifying the home of a lonely young woman. The only thing that managed to catch her eye shocked her as much as it angered her.<p>

Just to her side was a bookshelf. On the central shelf, accompanied by some sparse odds and ends, was a small framed photo of Inori as her usual bubbly self. Stranger still, it was adorned by ribbons and yellow flowers. It was a funeral portrait. Love couldn't begin to comprehend why Setsuna would have gone through the trouble of assembling it.

Love's head abruptly snapped toward the sound of footsteps entering the opposite side of the room. The stranger was Setsuna, and her civilian form's dark purple hair made it hard to mistake her as anyone else. She gave a startled look and stopped in place the moment she realized she had company. While it's difficult to say which girl made the first move, both Love and Setsuna summoned their Linkruns—the mystical devices that enabled them to transform into Cure Peach and Cure Passion respectively—and held them at their sides in a tense standoff.

Setsuna seemed hide her face in shame, being the first to speak.

"Love..."

Love narrowed her eyes, further pinpointing her sight on only one thing. She sounded suspicious and impatient when she spoke next.

"Setsuna."

Setsuna's attention remained on the floor as she noted Love had come alone.

"Where's Miki?"

Cure Berry had nothing to do with this. She had been hit by Inori's death almost as hard as Love, but she wasn't the type to take an oath of revenge over it. Love gave the honest answer, albeit in the same cautious tone as before.

"She doesn't know I'm here. I wanted to settle this myself."

Setsuna remained silent. Love squeezed the phone-like Linkrun in her hand as she struggled to control her anger. As the scene of Inori being murdered endlessly replayed through her mind, all she could get out was one word.

"Why?"

Setsuna knew it was time to come forward with everything. She continued to hang her head and calmly hold her hand at her side, doing nothing to match Love's more heated attitude. She could only pray her explanation would suffice.

"Because I had to."

Love pushed further in heated surprise.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Setsuna final lifted her eyes so they would be level with Love's. Her words became more forceful as she stared directly toward her guest.

"Labyrinth would have killed all of us if I hadn't killed Inori first."

She could tell Love was becoming increasingly baffled, causing her to recount that fateful day.

"Think about it. The last time we were together, we were about to lose everything. But as soon as I betrayed you, the entire thing stopped. Only one person wound up dead."

Her tone then became more regretful as she remembered her own actions.

"Why do you think I didn't kill you when I had the chance?"

Love didn't know what to think. Was this all some sort of bizarre trick? She appeared wide-eyed and sounded breathless when she raised her next question.

"What are you saying?"

Setsuna sighed as she closed her eyes and allowed her head to drop again. She knew what she had to say was likely too much for Love to accept.

"I'm saying Labyrinth's invasion was always coming on that specific day, and it was always too much for us to beat by force. I knew that when I was Eas. That's why I had to take personal measures to stop it."

Love gasped at this revelation. For a short moment, she was more angry at Setsuna for foolishly isolating herself than for murdering down her ally.

"Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped you!"

Setsuna looked forward and answered in a more desperate tone.

"What could I have told you? 'Hey guys, Doomsday's coming in 90 days. Have fun spending the whole time in fear because you'll never be strong enough to stop it!'? Besides, keeping you in the dark helped my case."

Love stopped to blink. She was becoming overwhelmed by Setsuna's statements.

"Your 'case'?"

Setsuna became calmer as she elaborated on her answer.

"I had to give my loyalty to Labyrinth before they ever would have considered withdrawing their forces."

Love was still lost. In a crazy way, some of what Setsuna was saying made sense. However, Love was relentless in holding her accountable for the worst crime she had committed.

"If this was all about giving yourself up, why did you have to kill Buki?"

Setsuna's eyes shifted away from Love. Remorse haunted her voice when she replied.

"They were watching me the entire time, so I needed to do something to prove I was on their side. I never could have pulled it off without her help."

Love couldn't hold back any more. Both of her hands became sharp fists as she screamed her objections. Setsuna couldn't have been serious. This had to be a twisted attempt to mock Inori's memory.

"Her HELP? You murdered her in cold blood!"

Tears began streaming down her face. In an act of rageful impulse, she knocked Inori's portrait from the shelf and sent its glass frame smashing across the ground. The sound was enough to cause Setsuna to jump in surprise, the most powerful reaction she had displayed during the entire argument. Love fell further into her emotional breakdown as she shook her head.

"I can't stand this! You act like she was your friend when I watched you kill her! She only wanted to protect you, and you ended up torturing her to death! You ENJOYED robbing her of her life!"

Setsuna hung her head in shame. Everything her opponent said was true. Now she was the one on the verge of crying, and she could only reply in a weak voice.

"They wouldn't have accepted any less."

When she look toward Love again, she forced herself to show an assuring smile. It was the first thing she thought of doing.

"Did you forget theater is one my favorite hobbies?"

All of Love's rage suddenly stopped. She stared at Setsuna in disbelief as she considered what she was implying.

"You were acting the whole time?"

Setsuna answered with a solemn nod.

"I already betrayed them when I became Cure Passion. Walking up to them with a white flag and hoping they'd forgive me wouldn't cut it."

Her attention moved to the broken picture frame as regret began invading her voice again.

"I made a choice. I decided Inori's life was worth more than all the other lives on this planet, and I gave it to Labyrinth so they would spare the rest."

When a few small droplets escaped her eyes, she promptly squeezed them shut. In her mind, Love was right. She didn't deserve to cry over the tragedy she had caused.

"I don't expect any of you to forgive me, especially her. I'm not going to deny I'm a monster."

Love slowly shook her head as she tried assess fact from fiction. She was much more relaxed when she spoke, but obvious tension remained in her posture.

"I don't get it. What do they even have you doing now?"

When Setsuna replied, her voice sounded much too ominous for the simple answer she provided.

"I guess you could call it a desk job."

After a moment of uneasy silence, she elaborated on her response.

"I'm a human battery. When I'm Cure Passion, my body generates more magical energy than Labyrinth will ever need. I'd rather not discuss the exact details of how it works, but they have ways to... harvest me."

Setsuna appeared to shudder at the idea, but she could have been reacting to any of the dozens of other things that troubled her mind. In any case, she was much more collected when she proceeded further.

"That's what Moebius always wanted. Our world was dying without an energy source. He thought human emotions were a viable source, so he sent us here to create Nakewameke and cause despair. I'm the reason why there haven't been any more attacks since Inori died."

Things were starting to come together for Love. Setsuna had turned herself into a tree of life, bearing the means which keep her people alive. It seemed like a fitting end for someone who had been part of a team of magical girls named after fruit. However, Love was quick to point out that none of it sounded practical.

"You're using your Cure magic to power an entire planet? That's suicide."

A look of relief appeared on Setsuna's face as she put Love's worries to rest.

"I've checked the whole thing over. It's not shortening my natural lifespan in the slightest."

Her lips curled into an odd grin before she continued. She couldn't help but feel amused by the cruel irony she had recently discovered.

"It's funny. I'm supposed to be the Cure of Happiness, but I'm at my strongest when I'm thinking about Inori and how much I wish I could bring her back. That's when I'm in the most misery."

Her grin turned into a gentle smile as she sorted through her experiences. She realized there may have been some convoluted logic behind it all as she spoke again.

"But maybe that's the point. Maybe my power comes from making other people happy. Maybe I'm helping Inori find happiness by making sure her death wasn't in vain."

When she gazed straight toward Love, she spoke with a new air of commitment.

"I wouldn't be doing this if it were only a temporary solution, anyway. Her death would be pointless if this killed me in a couple of years and just left Labyrinth back where it started."

Her words then became softer as she made her best effort to simplify her explanation.

"I couldn't do this if I hadn't become a Pretty Cure. Once I became I Pretty Cure, I never would have been able to go back to Labyrinth without showing them I was there to stay."

Some of Love's anger appeared to return, but in a smaller quantity than before. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke out in newfound contempt.

"So THAT'S why you killed her? You just wanted to be the big hero of your people?"

Setsuna turned away in response, looking more shameful than ever.

"I'm nothing compared to Inori. I'm giving my life to save one world. She gave her life to save two."

The room became silent as both girls thought to themselves. Their tension remained in place, and they were both still poised for battle, but neither side could find the inspiration to fully hate the other. Love finally broke the ice as she struggled to figure out where the argument had left them.

"What happens now?"

Setsuna responded in a relatively casual manner. The answer came easy for her since it was what she was already preparing for before Love arrived.

"I go back home, probably forever. There won't be any reason for me to come here anymore once I finish packing a few things. Plus, I'm Labyrinth's precious asset. They don't want me to wander too far away when I'm off duty."

She appeared more upbeat when she moved to Love's outlook. It was a fair trade in her view, and she didn't feel the slightest bit of envy toward it.

"You'll get to grow up as a happy ordinary girl. As long as I have any control over it, your days of weekly life and death combat will be over."

She frowned when she considered what she way saying sounded too good to be true. This, combined with her treacherous past, all but destroyed her ability of being trusted. All she could do was acknowledge it.

"I wish there was a simple way to prove what I'm saying, but there isn't. There's nothing I can do to stop you from thinking every single thing I've told you is a lie."

With a look of sympathy, she tried to offer whatever she could.

"For what it's worth, I hope you can at least believe me when I say I'm already atoning for my sins. I killed Inori, and now I'm cursed to live the rest of my life as nothing more than a walking power generator. You and Miki get to be human beings while I get to be property."

She then looked down toward her red Linkrun, wondering if she would have to use it. She hoped that wouldn't be the case as she offered her terms of surrender.

"I'm not going to fight you unless I have to defend myself."

As a safety precaution, however, she stood her ground when she announced her full intentions.

"I won't hold back if you insist on it, though. If you kill me, you'll be dooming your world to another invasion. Labyrinth won't react kindly if they lose their only energy source. For Inori's sake, I'll do anything to make sure they remain satisfied."

She suddenly shut her eyes and almost began shedding tears again. She concluded her argument with a desperate plea.

"Please don't make me kill anyone else."

Love's pink Linkrun disappeared from her hand under her command. She didn't believe Setsuna, at least not entirely. It would be impossible to expect her to take everything she had been told at face value. Even so, she knew it would be wrong to attack someone so pathetic. Her voice remained cold when she explained her stance.

"I made a promise I wouldn't be the one to start anything."

The flames of battle flashed in her eyes as she drastically changed her tone. She was willing to give up her quest for revenge, but she would never forget why she had come into her enemy's home.

"But if you EVER make a move, I'll be waiting. Every part of me that wants to make you pay for what you did to Buki will be waiting."

After a brief pause, she angrily made her closing statement.

"I never want to see you again, Setsuna."

Setsuna's Linkrun subsequently disappeared from her grip, officially marking an end to hostilities. She hoped Love would find some amount of peace in her exile, and her response was conveyed with a bittersweet smile.

"You never will."

Love strongly doubted it, but there was nothing left to pursue for the time being. In bitter silence, she turned her back to Setsuna and walked out of the apartment.

When Love's footsteps faded into the distance, Setsuna knew she was alone again. She approached where Love had knocked the portrait to the ground and carefully sifted the photograph out of the broken glass. Holding the picture in her hand, a look of guilt appeared on her face. She quietly whispered two simple words.

"Sorry, Inori."

She placed the photo on the shelf, then began searching her apartment for something she could store it in for safekeeping.

* * *

><p>Having your vitality slowly drained by an enormous alien contraption is an unpleasant experience. Cure Passion knew that much for certain, and it was something she never got used to. That was why she had spared Love the gory details. Sealed inside Labyrinth's machine, it felt as if her body was being pulled in every conceivable direction at once. The worst of it came from her arms, which were shackled at the wrists and felt like they were about to pop out of their sockets.<p>

With her eyes half-closed from exhaustion, Passion painfully spoke under her breath. It was a simple but heartfelt request she thought no one would ever hear.

"Inori, I wish... I could see you again..."

Just when her eyelids dropped the rest of the way, she was surprised by the sensation of a soft, warm palm grazing her cheek. This was followed by the sound of a very familiar voice.

"Hang in there, Setsuna."

Her eyes fluttered open to see Cure Pine hovering just in front of her in her glass cell. The young girl had an angelic smile on her face, and her entire outfit glowed with a brilliant yellow light. Passion could barely speak over her shock.

"Inori? How?"

Pine giggled quietly before replying. She looked as if Passion's question had been a matter of common sense.

"I'm the Cure of Prayers. It's my responsibility to answer each one I hear."

She teasingly poked Passion's nose before speaking again.

"Even if I'm dead, I'll still do my best to help anyone who needs me."

Pine's spirit had come to forgive her. Passion at first reacted with a look of relief, but then shook her head as she realized how awkward and surreal the moment was. She looked away in shame. Regret filled her voice when she spoke next.

"But why would you want to help me? You must hate me."

Pine used her hand to gently guide Passion's head forward. She didn't want Passion to isolate herself again.

A small frown now appeared on Pine's face, but a certain amount of playful energy remained in her eyes. Even though recalling about her own demise had a chilling effect on her, she was strong enough to hold on to her pacifistic ideals.

"I'm not sure you had to be as cruel as you were, but I understand why you did it now. I'm glad you and Love didn't make too much of a fuss over me."

Her sadness grew as she briefly glanced downward.

"Please, Setsuna. Don't put yourself through this just for my sake. I'm not sure what we'll do if you don't give Labyrinth your energy, but I don't want to see anyone get hurt, no matter what they may have done wrong."

Passion hesitated in regret, but then answered with a determined glare. Nothing could change her opinion on this being the best solution for everyone.

"No. I stole your life from you. I'm going to make it up to you."

Pine spent some time in deep thought. Her ghostly nature prevented her from physically intervening, and she couldn't argue Passion had a point. When she finally spoke, her usual cheerful demeanor returned in full.

"Well, if you really insist on it, you'll always have my support."

She floated forward so her lips could be close to Passion's ear. She then lowered her voice to an comforting whisper.

"No matter how much you're suffering, we can get through this together. Never forget that, okay?"

A bright smile appeared on Passion's face. Her offering of retribution had been accepted, and now she would never have to doubt if she was doing the right thing. Tears of happiness started to form in her eyes as she weakly replied.

"I won't, Inori."

Weariness began to resume its course, causing Passion to lower her head and allow her eyelids to close. She couldn't tell if it was due to Pine's blessing or her own peace of mind, but her pain gradually faded away.

* * *

><p>Just outside Cure Passion's holding chamber were Soular and Westar, Labyrinth's two most trusted guardians. The two young men stood in front of their invention with their eyes fixed on a large monitor. Soular casually nodded toward his colleague before speaking.<p>

"Decrease the vacuum force by five points. We've almost filled our quota for the week."

Westar reached for the controls and made the proper adjustments in silence. As the machine's droning sound grew fainter, Soular shifted his attention so he could peer directly through Passion's clear prison. She was still secured in an upright position, apparently sleeping. He spoke in surprise when he noticed something was slightly different from previous energy collection sessions.

"That's strange."

Westar turned his head to his partner with a clueless look. He wasn't one for paying a great attention to detail.

"What?"

Soular narrowed his eyes as he remained baffled by what he was witnessing.

"She passed out again, but she's... smiling."

Westar carelessly shrugged as he offered the first explanation that came to mind.

"The amount of pain she's in is probably driving her out of her mind."

Soular allotted a few more seconds for contemplation, then offered an alternate hypothesis.

"Or she's dreaming."

The gears in Westar's brain finally started to go to work as curiosity got the better of him. He soon came back with a wandering second guess, and he sounded more surprised than before.

"You don't think... ?"

Soular sighed to himself as his thoughts fell in synchronicity with Westar's. They both knew of fantastical stories of Cures being able to communicate with each other in ways only they understood. The idea of any of Labyrinth's human counterparts being able to converse with Passion was an intriguing one, and possibly something worth researching further. For the time being, however, Soular could only offer a puzzled shrug as he reached the same ambiguous conclusion as his colleague.

"Who knows?"

He then gazed back toward Passion in doubt. He held regrets toward using his close ally as a living fuel source, but the fact she had forcefully volunteered herself for the mission and he had his own orders to follow left him with little choice. In the back of his mind, he prayed she would stay healthy as long as she was needed. He spoke out remorse toward Passion's sleeping form, recalling how insistent she had been.

"I hope you're right about this, Eas. I wonder if it's really worth as much as you say it is."

The same gentle smile was on Passion's face when it was time to remove her from the device and escort her to her home for some much needed rest.


End file.
